360-Degree Proxemic Awareness

360-Degree Proxemic Management

The above video (click title above) does a good job of beginning a person’s venture into 360-degree awareness. It is worth a watch.

I want to be Jason Bourne. It really is that simple. Call me a big fan of Matt Damon’s portrayal of that character. So many times in the movies, Bourne knows what to do because of his 360-degree awareness.

360-degree awareness is one important skill to develop that enhances a person's psychological stability in normal situations and in a crisis.

Quite often we preppers are labeled as being paranoid because we are always thinking and questioning, but that is not paranoia. Paranoia is an irrational fear that something is up.

By contrast, preppers have a rational belief that something could happen and thus we question more and pay attention more. And that is a good thing.

360-degree awareness is a tool that has many common sense applications. It’s not just for TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it).

For example, when you enter a space, immediately examine its context.

Scan and take in everything about the situation.

Determine the mood and evaluate whether the set point of the situation is normal/calm, heightened, or depressed. Your safety depends on you being aware.

Next, evaluate the people in the room for their set points. Some will be oblivious to matters, others highly engaged, and still others who will be—like you—getting in tune.

I'm not saying that a crisis will erupt, but if one should, you will know who your potential allies and obstacles will be.

Should something happen, you will be more calm because you assessed the set point before anything went down.

Because of your heightened awareness, you may be the one who saves lives because deescalating chaos makes you safer.

360-degree awareness should also be practiced when driving.

It annoys me to see people driving and texting.

Because I am constantly scanning the road conditions, I can see which vehicles are not maintaining a true course in their lane. Those drivers are texting. They have no business that is so important that it makes inattention to driving is OK.

I don’t care about their safety, but they have no business jeopardizing my safety.

I will go one step further. 

Both of my cars have hands-free connectivity so I can talk on the phone as I drive. This technology was invented to allow drivers to have both hands on the wheel and thereby improve safety, but that is an illusion as we shall soon see.

Rarely do I answer the phone in my car. Granted I will pick up if I get a call from my daughter that I was not expecting, but I usually hit the hang-up button on the steering wheel and send the person to voicemail.

Talking on the phone diverts my attention from the scanning of road conditions. Talking on the phone engages my mind in a microcosm with the person who called me and that takes my attention away from the macrocosm of everything going on around me.

You are no different.

The technology that was designed to make it safe to talk on the phone while driving does nothing of the sort.

Literally, none of us is so vital to anything that we need to be on the phone 24-7 mindlessly prattling on about nothing.

Reduce stimuli that divert your attention and get back to your 360-degree awareness.